Man found shot near truck stop

Marion County Sheriff's Lt. David Redman, evidence division supervisor, examines the scene where a white male was shot at the entrance of Love's Truck Stop at 7791 West CR 326 Saturday afternoon around 5 p.m. A person of interest is in custody and the victim was transported to Munroe Regional Medical Center for emergency surgery.

Published: Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 6:58 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 12:08 a.m.

A man was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center with what was described as life-threatening wounds Saturday evening after he was shot by another man near the Interstate 75/County Road 326 interchange, according to Marion County sheriff's deputies.

Authorities said they have arrested Gary Fletcher, 67, of Ocala in the shooting. Fletcher was taken to a local hospital after complaining of chest pains on Saturday night. Once he is released from the hospital, deputies say Fletcher will be charged with attempted murder.

Before the wounded man, who deputies have not identified, was taken to the hospital, he gave a partial description of his alleged assailant, and deputies said they were able to locate Fletcher, who matched that description.

Sandy Reese and his wife, Carol Reese, both from Texas, told a Star-Banner reporter that when they pulled into Love's Travel Stop at 7791 W. CR 326 for a quick rest stop, they noticed two people sitting on a curve at the intersection of CR 326 and Northwest 47th Avenue.

The couple said there was a sign that was probably meant for panhandling, and also some flowers.

Upon departing the popular truck stop, the couple said they pulled up to the intersection, waiting to turn onto CR 326 before getting onto I-75, continuing their journey to Orlando, when they noticed a man lying on his back, his eyes closed, his legs crossed, and he appeared be having difficulty breathing.

Motorists behind them were honking their horns, the Reeses said, so they decided to make a U-turn to check on the man when they noticed blood coming from the right side of the man's neck.

When they got closer, Sandy Reese said he saw a pool of blood near the man, and a pair of scissors nearby.

Exiting the vehicle, Sandy Reese said he hollered at the man but didn't get a response. He said the man briefly opened his eyes, and then closed them.

The victim's motorcycle was apparently also found at the scene, but no gun has been recovered, deputies said.

Fletcher's wife, Carole Fletcher, said she's in “disbelief” and “cannot believe” why her husband of 23 years would “do such a thing.”

“It's so out of character. It's not like him,” said Carole Fletcher, who runs a horse farm in Reddick with her husband called Singing Saddles Ranch.

Fletcher said her husband has had Parkinson's disease for 14 years and also has high blood pressure.

Describing her husband as a generous and caring man, Carole Fletcher said they've lived in Marion County for 15 years, and he's an extremely talented mechanic, carpenter, builder and welder, and that he does maintenance for their farm. She said he retired as a builder and carpenter.

As to why he was at the intersection at which the shooting apparently occurred, the wife said he was gone for the afternoon as she went to a movie with a friend. Arriving home around 4:30 p.m., she said she discovered her husband was not home.

She fed the horses, took a shower and, not seeing her husband, called hospitals and the Sheriff's Office to file a missing person's report. That was when she was contacted by Detective Rhonda Stroup about the incident.

The wounded man was found near where the body of a DeLand man was discovered in early 2012. The decomposing body of Randall Scott Byrd of DeLand, a quadriplegic, was discovered by a man looking for cans in a large, empty lot behind Love's Travel Stop in mid-January.

Byrd's body was found in bushes roughly 100 yards behind the truck stop, along what's described as a “walkway” approximately 10 feet off the pavement.

Byrd had last been seen on Dec. 10, 2011, in Daytona Beach. Family and friends reported to authorities they last saw him on Dec. 17.

<p>A man was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center with what was described as life-threatening wounds Saturday evening after he was shot by another man near the Interstate 75/County Road 326 interchange, according to Marion County sheriff's deputies.</p><p>Authorities said they have arrested Gary Fletcher, 67, of Ocala in the shooting. Fletcher was taken to a local hospital after complaining of chest pains on Saturday night. Once he is released from the hospital, deputies say Fletcher will be charged with attempted murder.</p><p>Before the wounded man, who deputies have not identified, was taken to the hospital, he gave a partial description of his alleged assailant, and deputies said they were able to locate Fletcher, who matched that description.</p><p>Sandy Reese and his wife, Carol Reese, both from Texas, told a Star-Banner reporter that when they pulled into Love's Travel Stop at 7791 W. CR 326 for a quick rest stop, they noticed two people sitting on a curve at the intersection of CR 326 and Northwest 47th Avenue.</p><p>The couple said there was a sign that was probably meant for panhandling, and also some flowers.</p><p>Upon departing the popular truck stop, the couple said they pulled up to the intersection, waiting to turn onto CR 326 before getting onto I-75, continuing their journey to Orlando, when they noticed a man lying on his back, his eyes closed, his legs crossed, and he appeared be having difficulty breathing.</p><p>Motorists behind them were honking their horns, the Reeses said, so they decided to make a U-turn to check on the man when they noticed blood coming from the right side of the man's neck.</p><p>When they got closer, Sandy Reese said he saw a pool of blood near the man, and a pair of scissors nearby. </p><p>Exiting the vehicle, Sandy Reese said he hollered at the man but didn't get a response. He said the man briefly opened his eyes, and then closed them.</p><p>The victim's motorcycle was apparently also found at the scene, but no gun has been recovered, deputies said.</p><p>Fletcher's wife, Carole Fletcher, said she's in “disbelief” and “cannot believe” why her husband of 23 years would “do such a thing.”</p><p>“It's so out of character. It's not like him,” said Carole Fletcher, who runs a horse farm in Reddick with her husband called Singing Saddles Ranch.</p><p>Fletcher said her husband has had Parkinson's disease for 14 years and also has high blood pressure.</p><p>Describing her husband as a generous and caring man, Carole Fletcher said they've lived in Marion County for 15 years, and he's an extremely talented mechanic, carpenter, builder and welder, and that he does maintenance for their farm. She said he retired as a builder and carpenter.</p><p>As to why he was at the intersection at which the shooting apparently occurred, the wife said he was gone for the afternoon as she went to a movie with a friend. Arriving home around 4:30 p.m., she said she discovered her husband was not home.</p><p>She fed the horses, took a shower and, not seeing her husband, called hospitals and the Sheriff's Office to file a missing person's report. That was when she was contacted by Detective Rhonda Stroup about the incident.</p><p>The wounded man was found near where the body of a DeLand man was discovered in early 2012. The decomposing body of Randall Scott Byrd of DeLand, a quadriplegic, was discovered by a man looking for cans in a large, empty lot behind Love's Travel Stop in mid-January.</p><p>Byrd's body was found in bushes roughly 100 yards behind the truck stop, along what's described as a “walkway” approximately 10 feet off the pavement.</p><p>Byrd had last been seen on Dec. 10, 2011, in Daytona Beach. Family and friends reported to authorities they last saw him on Dec. 17.</p>